Figured roundabout toy



April 23, 1957 Filed Dec. 16, 1955 C. SPROUSE FIGURED ROUNDABOUT TOY 3Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENT OR CLIFTON SPROUSE ATTORNEY April 23, I957 c.SPROUSE 2,739,395

FIGURED ROUNDABOUT TOY Filed Dec. l6, l955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORCLIFTON SPROUSE .5 ATTORNEY April 23, 1957 v d. SP'ROU SE 2,789,395

FIGURED ROUNDABOQT TOY rned'fieo. 16, 1955 a snem-snm a INVENTR CLIFTONSPROUSE BY /-M '1' ATTORNEY United States PatentO FIGURED ROUNDABOUT TOYClifton Spronse, Abbeville, S. C.

Application December 16, 1955, Serial No. 553,514

7 Claims. (Cl. 46118) This invention relates to amusement devices and isparticularly concerned with figured roundabout toys which by turning ofa wheel will produce animated movement of figures with respect to asurface of the device.

Roundabout figured toys of the above general description have long beenknown and pleasurably employed, particularly by children who becomefascinated by the travel of the figures in response to concealedmotivating means. Such devices, however, are usually limited to a singlecircular path of travel of the figure and in but few instances, do theyprovide accompanying figures not traveling in the roundabout circuit.Furthermore, where accompanying figures are provided, such figures arerigid and no means are provided for movement of any parts thereof withany coordinated action with respect to the travel of the other figures.Such prior devices also generally omit any structure above the surfaceofmovement of the figure whereby the figure may be observed to disappearand reappear through such superstructures.

It is therefore among the primary objects of the present invention toprovide a novel and improved toy of the character set forth which isrugged, simple and durable and yet provides for complicated andcoordinated movements of various figures.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a roundaboutfigured toy having a plurality of inter-joining paths of figure travel,such that the figure may travel successively in a plurality of paths.

A further object of the invention is to provide for the coordinatedanimation of a plurality of figures and particularly for dissimilaranimations operating in predetermined sequences of movement.

The invention also has as an objective that of providing surfacestructures extending above the plane of travel of certain figureswhereby the figures may be seen to appear and disappear through suchstructure.

Numerous other objects, features and advantages of the present inventionwill become apparent from a consideration of the following specificationtaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective showing the amusement device of thisinvention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation-a1 view;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2; j

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the base plate of the device of Figs. 1 and2;

Fig. 6 is a detailed perspective view of one of the rotating figures ofthe device; and

Fig. 7 is a detailed perspective view of the non-rotating figure of thedevice.

It will, of course, be understood that the various inventive conceptsherein set forth may be variously arranged and combined and that thefiguration may alter and the types of relative movement be modified toconform the depicted animation to different subject matters. However, byway of illustration, the present form of the invention provides for thetravel of figures representing rabbits in a circuituous path past ahunter representation.

-The animal figures are pivotally mounted and travel over a corrugatedsurface to give a loping action to their travel and the hunter is soconstructed and arranged as to be moved periodically in representationof raising and firing a gun in the direction of the rabbits. Means arealso provided for producing a percussive sound as the gun is raised,suggestive of the report of a firearm. The device also provides asuperstructure through which the animal figures pass, so as to causethem to disappear and reappear at one side of the toy.

An important feature of the invention is the provision of intersectingguide slots for the traveling figures, together with a slidable mountingfor the figures and guide pieces thereon by which they are caused toleave one path of travel at the end of one circuit and enter the otherfor a complete circuit before re-entering the original path of travel.While the slidable mounting of the figures on their rotating carrierpermits the paths of travel to be irregular, they are here shown asgenerally circular, one path merging into the other, the arrangementbeing such that the figures automatically switch from one path to theother at the point of merging.

Referring now to the structure of the present form 0 the invention aspresented in the drawings, it will be seen that the device is generallyrectangular in plan and includes a rectangular base board 10 which maybe supported in elevated position upon cornerlegs 11. Suitably supportedbetween depending bearing brackets 12 on the lower surface of the base10, is a driving disk 14, preferably rubber treaded and mounted upon acrank handle 15, by which the apparatus may be easily driven throughmanual power of a child operator. The disk 14 extends upwardly throughan elongate aperture 16 of the base 10, so as to dispose its upperperipheral surface in driving contact with the underface of the outeredge of figure propelling wheel 17.

The wheel 17 is mounted upon a centrally disposed vertical pintle 18,the lower end of which has a hearing within a base bearing plate 19recessed into the central upper surface of the base 10. The upper end ofthe pintle 18 has a bearing through the center of an upper surface plate20. The base plate 10 and the upper surface plate 20 are mounted invertically spaced parallel relation by internally rounded corner blocks21 more clearly shown by the dotted lines of Fig. 2. It will thus beseen that this arrangement is such as to provide for the free rotationof the wheel 17 in equally spaced relation between the base and surfaceplates. In order to insure adequate traction of the disk 14 against thelowersurface of the wheel 17 a pair of backing rollers 22 are mountedbetween spaced bearing plates 23 extending upwardly from the upper faceof surface plate 20. The backing rollers extend downwardly through anelongate aperture 24 of the surface plate to freely engage and rotatewith the wheel 17 their disposition being directly over the driving disk14 which is thus assured adequate contact with the wheel without dangerof tilting the same and unduly straining the bearings for the pintle 18.

As shown most clearly in Fig. 2, the surface plate 20 is formed with aninner and an outer circular figure guide slot 25 and 26 respectively. Asindicated at 27, the slots merge and at the point of merging, the outerslot 26 may turn slightly inward, while the inner slot 25 may pointslightly outward. As will be hereinafter pointed out, such departure ofthe slots from true curvature at their intersection will facilitate theswitching of figures traveling from one slot to the other. Below theguide slots 25 and 26, the wheel 17 is provided with a pair of spacedgenerally radial openings 28 and 29, each being of such radial at alltimes registering with both the guide slots and 26 thereabove. Radiallymounted with respect to the wheel 17 and extending across the openings28 and 29 there is disposed fixed figure bars 30 upon which thetraveling figures may radially slide in the course of their circularmotion.

As shown in Fig. 6, each traveling figure includes an upwardly extendingbody 31, the lead figure formed to represent a rabbit, the followingfigure formed to represent a dog, either body 31 may be of flat sheetmetal, formed with a depending supporting stem 32 adapted to extendthrough a receiving aperture in the transverse top 33 of a generallyrectangular figure base 34. At the lower forward corner of the figurebase 34 an elongated aperture 35 is formed in the outer wall for thereception of one of the figure bars 30. A circular aperture, not shown,is provided in the inner wall of the base 34 opposite the elongatedvaperture and this arrangement permits suflicient movement of the base 34and figure 31 when following the curved slots 25 and 26. In this manner,each traveling figure is slidably mounted upon its bar and within itsopening in the wheel 17. At the forward edge of each figure base thereis formed an extending guide finger 36 which is adapted to engage theslot walls in advance of the figure. Thus, as a figure traveling in theouter slot approaches the intersection 27, the finger 36 will be turnedinwardly to direct the figure to the inner slot. Upon leaving the innerslot, however, the finger will engage the outwardly inclined wall of theintersection 27 so that the figure will travel into the outer slot.

In order to add a loping gesticulation to the traveling rabbit figuresin simulation of successive hops, the trailing lower edge of the base 34is formed with a downwardly inclined tail piece 37. For cooperation withthe tail pieces 37, the upper surface of the base plate 10 is providedwith circularly arranged corrugations 38 and 39 registering with theslots 25 and 26 respectively. By this arrangement, it will be seen that,as the wheel 17 is rotated by rotation of the disk 14, the figuresmounted on the rods 30 will travel through the slots 25 and 26 slidablyaccommodating themselves to the change in radial distance of the slotsfrom the center of the device. In so traveling, it will be seen that thetail pieces of the figures will bump over the corrugations so as tooscillate the figures with respect to the rod and simulate a hoppingtype of propulsion. While the undulations of the corrugations 38 and 39are here shown as of generally regular in degree and radially disposedwith respect to the center of rotation of the wheel 17, they may bevaried to sug gest a change in pace as the figures reach certain phasesin their cycle of travel. Thus, at the juncture of the guide slots, thecorrugations 40 are more widely spaced and are at an angle to theradial, being inclined in the direction of travel of the figure. Thischange in formation not only provides a change in loping motion as therabbit approaches the hunter figure, about to-be described, but thechange in angularity will assist in inclining the figure towards theouter guide slot as it emerges from the inner guide slot.

A non-traveling figure representative of a hunter is arranged adjacentthe path of travel of the rabbit figures, preferably near theintersection of the inner and outer guide slots. As shown in Fig. 7, thehunter figure is formed of an upper head, shoulders, arm and gun portionil pivotally mounted for slight motion with respect to a lower leg andfoot portion 42. The toe and heel of the lower section of the hunterfigure are secured respectively to an actuating wire 43 and its parallelreturn bent end 44. The bight 45 of the wire between the sections 43 and44 is pivotally mounted Within a securing bracket 46 secured to theupper face of the surface plate 20. The forward free end 4'7 of theactuating wire 43 is turned downwardly to pass freely through thesurface plate as at 48, to lie in the path of radially extending pins 49protruding from the wheel 17' at an-area' correspondingto the angle ofrotation at which the rabbit figures emerge from the inner path oftravel. By this construction, it will be seen that the hunter figurewhose torso upper portion is normally tilted slightly forward, as thoughlooking to the ground, will upon striking of the pins against the wireend 47, be snapped upwardly as though raising and firing the gun. At thesame time, the pins will engage the inturned end 50 of a springpercussive blade 51. The spring blade will thus be moved outwardly, butupon passage of the pins, it will snap inward striking the edge of thestructure to give out a series. of repeated shot-like sounds as thehunter is jolted to his upright position as though taking aim at thepassing rabbits.

The structure of the present form of the invention also features themounting of a super-structure over the upper surface of the device. Thesuperstructure here shown, comprises a diagonally disposed piece 60providing a wall having spaced apertures forming tunnels 61 over thespaced portions of the guide slots and a single aperture forming atunnel over the juncture between the slots. The super-structure, as wellas the surface of the top of the device may be suitably decorated toresemble a woodland scene. Thus, upon viewing the device in operationfrom one side, it will seem that the rabbits disappear into thesuperstructure at one side and reappear again at the other side.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the structure and operation ofthe device will be fully understood. Sutfice it therefore, torecapitulate, by stating that, as the crank 15 is turned, the wheel 17will be rotated carrying with it the traveling figures successivelythrough the guide slots. Since, the figures slide radially on the bars30, there will be no hindrance to their travel in slots of varyingradial distance from the center of rotation of the wheel. As the figuresthus travel, the contact of their tail pieces with the corrugations ofthe upper surface of the base will cause an oscillation thereof on therods 30, thus simulating the loping of a rabbit. In timed relation withthe emergence of the rabbit figures from the tunnel formed over theintersection of the slots, the hunter figure will be vibrated to appearto see the figures raise his gun and the percussive blade willsynchronously strike to indicate the firing of the gun. The rabbits,however, continue their travel and disappear under the further tunnel.

While this form of the invention is intriguing and entertaining tochildren, it will be understood that from a mechanical standpoint, theinvention is in no way limited to any such type of depiction. A widevariety of other depictions may be carried out, the animations may becharacteristic of other figures and the arrangement and sequence ofoperations maybe widely varied. Thus, in the practice of theinventionnumenous changes, modifications and the full use of equivalentsmay be resorted to without departure from the spirit or scope of theinvention 'as outlined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the character described, a generally rectangular baseincluding a bottom wall, a top wall spaced above saidbottom wall andmeans for supporting said base, a disk wheel .rotatably mounted on avertical axis between said top and bottom walls, means for driving saidwheel, inner and outer arcuate radially offset slots in said top wallforming inner and outer loops, one end of said outer slot merging intoone end of said inner slot and the opposite end of said inner slotmerging into the opposite end of said outer slot to provide a continuoustrackway, said wheel having .angularly spaced generally rectangularopenings therein, the length of said openings in a generally radialdirection being greater than the maximum distance between said inner andouter slots, at bar fixed to said wheel and disposed longitudinally ofeach opening, a figure-pivotally and slidably mounted on each bar andextending: upwardly through said trackway' whereby upon-rotation of saidwheel said figures will be-carried thereby around saidn-outer loop tosaid inner loop, around said inner loop and return to said outer loop,an upstanding wall mounted on said base and extending across said innerand outer loops, said upstanding wall having a plurality of openingsdisposed above said inner and outer loops and providing tunnels forpassage of said figures, a fixed corrugated surface below said wheel, adownwardly extending projection on each figure slidably engaging saidsurface to pivotally move said figures on said bars upon movement ofsaid projections over said corrugated surface, a figure pivotallymounted on said top wall adjacent said outer loop, an actuating fingerfixed to said last named figure and extending downwardly adjacent theperiphery of said'wheel, a plurality of spaced pins projecting from saidwheel for engaging said finger to pivotally move said last named figureand a resilient blade disposed in the path of movement of said pins toproduce a percussive sound upon rotation of said wheel.

2. In a device of the character described, a generally rectangular baseincluding a top wall, a disk wheel rotatably mounted on a vertical axisbelow said top wall, means for driving said wheel, inner and outerarcuate radially offset slots in said top wall forming inner and outerloops, one end of said outer slot merging into one end of said innerslot and the opposite end of said inner slot merging into the oppositeend of said outer slot to provide a continuous trackway, said wheelhaving angularly spaced generally rectangular openings therein, thelength of said openings in a generally radial direction being greaterthan the maximum distance between said inner and outer slots, .a baxfixed to said wheel and disposed longitudinally of each opening, afigure pivotally and slidably mounted on each bar and extending upwardlythrough said trackway whereby upon rotation of said wheel said figureswill be carried thereby around said outer loop to said inner loop,around said inner loop and returned to said outer loop, an upstandingwall mounted on said base and extending across said inner and outerloops, said upstanding wall having a plurality of openings disposedabove said inner and outer loops and providing tunnels for passage ofsaid figures, a fixed corrugated surface below said wheel, .a downwardlyextending projection on each figure slidably engaging said surface topivotally move said figures on said bars upon movement of saidprojections over said corrugated surface, a figure pivotally mounted onsaid top wall adjacent said outer loop, an actuating finger fixed tosaid last named figure and extending downwardly adjacent the peripheryof said wheel, a plurality of spaced pins projecting from said wheel forengaging said finger to pivotally move said last named figure and aresilient blade disposed in the path of movement of said pins to producea percussive sound upon rotation of said wheel.

3. In a device of the character described, a generally rectangular baseincluding a top wall, a disk wheel rotatably mounted on a vertical axisbelow said top wall, means for driving said wheel, inner and outerarcuate radially offset slots in said top wall forming inner and outerloops, one end of said outer slot merging into one end of said innerslot and the opposite end of said inner slot merging into the oppositeend of said outer slot to provide a continuous trackway, said wheelhaving angularly spaced generally rectangular openings therein, thelength of said openings in a generally radial direction being greaterthan the maximum distance between said inner and outer slots, 9. barfixed to said wheel and disposed longitudinally of each opening, afigure pivotally and slidably mounted on each bar and extending upwardlythrough said trackway whereby upon rotation of said wheel said figureswill be carried thereby around said outer loop to said inner loop,around said inner loop and returned to said outer loop, an upstandingwall mounted on said base and extending across said inner and outerloops, said upstanding wall having a plurality of openings disposedabove said inner and outer loops and providing tunnels for the passageof said figures, a fixed corrugated surface below said wheel, adownwardly extending projection on each figure slidably, engaging saidsurface to pivotally move said figures on said bars upon movement ofsaid projections over said corrugated surface, a figure pivotallymounted on said top wall adjacent said outer loop, an actuating fingerfixed to said last named figure and extending downwardly adjacent theperiphery of said wheel and a plurality of spaced pins projecting fromsaid'wheel for engaging said finger to pivotally move said last namedfigure.

4. In a device of the character described, a generally rectangular baseincluding a top wall, a disk wheel rotatably mounted on a vertical axisbelow said top wall, means for driving said wheel, inner and outerarcuate radially offset slots in said top wall forming inner and outerloops, one end of said outer slot merging into one end of said innerslot and the opposite end of said inner slot merging into the oppositeend of said outer slot to provide a continuous trackway, said wheelhaving angularly spaced generally rectangular openings therein, thelength of said openings in a generally radial direction greater than themaximum distance between said inner and outer slots, a bar fixed to saidwheel and disposed longitudinally of each opening, a figure pivotallyand slidably mounted on each bar and extending upwardlylthrough saidtrackway whereby upon rotation of said wheel said figures will hecarried thereby around said outer loop to said inner loop, around saidinner loop and returned to said outer loop, an upstanding wall mountedon said base and extending across said inner and outer loops, saidupstanding wall having a plurality of openings disposed above said innerand outer loops and providing tunnels for passage of said figures, afixed corrugated surface below said wheel and a downwardly extendingprojection on each figure slidably engaging said surface to pivotallymove said figures on said bars upon movement of said projections oversaid corrugated surface.

5. In a device of the character described, a generally rectangular baseincluding a top wall, a wheel rotatably mounted on a vertical axis belowsaid top wall, means for driving said wheel, inner and outer arcuateradially offset slots in said top wall forming inner and outer loops,one end of said outer slot merging into one end of said inner slot andthe opposite end of said inner slot merging into the opposite end ofsaid outer slot to provide a continuous trackway, said wheel havingangularly spaced openings therein, the length of said openings in agenerally radial direction being greater than the maximum distancebetween said inner and outer slots, at bar fixed to said wheel anddisposed longitudinally of each opening, a figure pivotally and slidablymounted on each bar and extending upwardly through said trackway wherebyupon rotation of said wheel said figures will be carried thereby aroundsaid outer loop to said inner loop, around said inner loop and returnedto said outer loop, a fixed corrugated surface below said wheel and adownwardly extending projection on each figure slidably engaging saidsurface to pivotally move said figures on said bars upon movement ofsaid projections over said corrugated surface.

6. In a device of the character described, a generally rectangular baseincluding a top wall, a wheel rotatably mounted on a vertical axis belowsaid top wall, means for driving said wheel, inner and outer arcuateradially offset slots in said top wall forming inner and outer loops,one end of said outer slot merging into one end of said inner slot andthe opposite end of said inner slot merging into the opposite end ofsaid outer slot to provide a continuous trackway, said wheel havingangularly spaced radially disposed bars fixed thereto, the length ofsaid bars in a generally radial direction being greater than the maximumdistance between said inner and outer slides, and a figure slidablymounted on each bar and extending upwardly through said trackway wherebyupon rotation of said wheel said figures will be carried thereby aroundsaid outer loop 'to said inner loop, around said inner loop and returnedto said outer loop.

7. In a device of the character described, a base including a top Wall,a wheel rotatably mounted on a vertical axis below said top Wall, meansfor driving said wheel, inner and outer arcuate radially ofiset slots insaid top wall forming inner and outer loops, one end of said outer slotmerging into one end of said inner slot and the opposite end of saidinner slot merging into the opposite end of said outer slot to provide acontinuous trackway and a plurality of angularly spaced figures carriedby said wheel for movement therewith and for radial movement, saidfigures extending upwardly through said trackwayt whereby upon rotationof said wheel said figures will be carried thereby around said outerloop to said inner loop, around said inner loop and returned to saidouter loop;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

